Good morning all,

Sorry I could not be there today, I have a family emergency. PLEASE SIGN IN FOR ATTENDANCE RECORDS! I would like for you to work together today to analyze the major events and causes leading Americans into a civil war by the mid-1860s. Use the Chapter 6 Reading Guide below to guide your work. Your goal is two-fold: first, define each event/cause in the box, then in the arrows, identify reasons why it contributes to the buildup of war. Remember to include details, places, people, motivations, intentions, etc. Feel free to work together to figure out the significance of seemingly minor events such as the Lincoln-Douglas Debates (one small debate in the middle of a state Senate race for Illinois - so what?! How does that contribute to the eventual death of over a half-million Americans?).



Next, please read Frederick Douglass' (different Douglas!) speech "The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro."

  1. Subject (what is the speech about?)
  2. Occasion (When is the speech given?)
  3. Audience (Who is Douglass talking to? Who is the speech written for?)
  4. Purpose (Why is he giving this speech?)
  5. Setting (Where is he giving it?)
  6. Tone (What mood, or feeling, does he convey?)

With a partner, write a response according to the following prompt:

Imagine you are leaving the Corinthian Hall after hearing the speech given by Frederick Douglass. As you are leaving, you overhear someone from the north and south discussing their reactions to what Douglass had to say. Depending on which northerners and southerners are talking, their reactions may be very different. In fact, depending on any person’s point of view, his or her thoughts or feelings on a topic like Douglass' speech would vary greatly. Consider the possible northerners and southerners we have studied this year:
1) Choose one northerner and one southerner.
2) Write an imaginary dialogue between the two historical figure in which they discuss the following:
  • Their reaction to Douglass’s speech
  • Reasons why they reacted that way
  • Their points of view on the issues of slavery and abolition
  • How their points of view influence their opinion of what Douglass had to say